New Brunswick River Ferries

Here’s an interesting trip for anyone traveling in the Saint John - Kingston Peninsula - Gagetown (near Fredericton) area of New Brunswick:

In about four hours I was able to ride 8 separate river ferry routes crossing the Saint John and Kennebecasis Rivers and Belleisle Bay. From a map you can easily plan a route linking all without any backtracking. Only one required a round-trip: Kennebecasis Island and only one operated to a posted schedule: Millidgeville. The rest were load and go. At Hampstead they saw me waiting from the opposite side of the Saint John River (it’s about a Km wide here) Came over empty then took me across. A very casual operation! At Gondola Point it was a lot busier with two ferries in operation for the 5 minute crossing leaving each side simultaneously with another boat load ready to board as soon as they crossed.

Which reminded me of my trip to BC through Revelstoke in 2004. At that time I didn't take HWY 1 west, but rather took HWY 23 south to Shelter Bay, crossed Columbia River on a ferry boat to Galena Bay on the east shore. Continued south in which HWY 23 eventually became HWY 6, crossed the Columbia River again from Fauquier to Needles Bay on the west shore.

Which reminded me of my trip to BC through Revelstoke in 2004. At that time I didn't take HWY 1 west, but rather took HWY 23 south to Shelter Bay, crossed Columbia River on a ferry boat to Galena Bay on the east shore. Continued south in which HWY 23 eventually became HWY 6, crossed the Columbia River again from Fauquier to Needles Bay on the west shore.

Actually, you're crossing Arrow Lake not the Columbia River . They used to be two lakes, the Upper Arrow Lake where the Shelter-Galena Bay ferry crosses and the Lower Arrow Lake where the Needles-Faquier cable ferry crosses. Ther is also a third ferry, the Arrow Parks cable ferry which crosses just south of Nakusp. When the Keenleyside Dam was built in the 1960s, just north of Castlegar, the lakes become one.

Actually, you're crossing Arrow Lake not the Columbia River . They used to be two lakes, the Upper Arrow Lake where the Shelter-Galena Bay ferry crosses and the Lower Arrow Lake where the Needles-Faquier cable ferry crosses. Ther is also a third ferry, the Arrow Parks cable ferry which crosses just south of Nakusp. When the Keenleyside Dam was built in the 1960s, just north of Castlegar, the lakes become one.

I'm going to be in the Kelowna/ Penticton and Nakusp areas soon. Looking forward taking at least 2 of these ferries!

I'm going to be in the Kelowna/ Penticton and Nakusp areas soon. Looking forward taking at least 2 of these ferries!

Take Hwy97 north from Kelowna to Vernon, take Hwy6 east to Lumby and Nakusp, you'll take the Needles ferry across which leaves every 30 minutes (:15 and :45 past the hour), keep following Hwy6 up to Nakusp and switch off to Hwy23 to Revelstoke where you'll take the Shelter Bay ferry which leaves every hour at :30 past. Continue following Hwy23 till you get to Revelstoke and follow Hwy1 wast to Sicamous where you turn off on to Hwy97a to Vernon and back to Kelowna (Hwy97a turns into Hwy97 at the Swan Lake junction). All in all a very nice day trip.

The Shelter Bay/Galena Bay ferry is very nice, its a good 20 minutes are very peaceful.

I did the drive in 2003. The last few miles into Yellowknife still hadn’t been paved then. It was raining and mud flying in all directions! You hadn’t seen civilization for miles then all of a sudden……the high-rise buildings of downtown Yellowknife above the treeline!